Malaysia, Islam, And The Bumiputra System

Malaysia is, quite incorrectly I'm afraid, always adduced as an example of a progressive, forward-looking, prosperous Muslim state. In fact its prosperity would be considerably diminished but for its Chinese and Hindu population. All Malays are required to be counted as Muslims, and all Muslims benefit from a disguised jizyah tax on non-Muslims which is called the "Bumiputra" or "Sons of the Soil" system. Most Westerners are unacquainted with the "Bumiputra." But anyone living in Malaysia who is unaware of the "Bumiputra" system has not yet sunk beneath the surface of Malaysian life.

Although the word means "sons of the soil," it is not the indigenous Malaysian tribes that benefit from the "Bumiputra" policy, but Malay Muslims alone.

According to this "Bumiputra" idea, all economic undertakings, all examples of entrepreneurial flair, must have Muslim Malays as their full partners. Two Chinese who wish to open, for example, a computer consulting company, or an architectural firm, are required to take on a Muslim Malay (but not a Hindu, nor another Chinese) as a full partner, with an equal financial stake -- even though he need not contribute a thing. This is simply a way to ensure that the Muslims can continue to live on the backs of non-Muslims, which is part of the traditional status of dhimmi, including the payment of the jizya (and kharaj, or land-tax).

The real "Sons of the Soil" -- the real indigenous tribes of Malaysia -- in fact are almost entirely Christian, where they are not pagan. These tribes of course, benefit not at all from the Bumiputra system.

Some indication of the nature of Muslim dreams in Malaysia can be gauged from the speech of Mahathir Mohammed, the former "moderate" president of the country. In his notorious address several years ago to assembled heads of Muslim states, he seemed to be advocating "reform" when he called for the harnessing of science and technology -- not in order to investigate the structure of DNA, or the Eight-Fold Path, or De Sitter space, or how to preserve biodiversity in both Wilsonian (Woodrow and E.O.) senses. No, no, what he had in mind, and what he called for, was a Muslim "reform" that would permit Muslim countries to catch up with the West almost entirely in one area and one area alone -- weapons technology. For that he was wildly applauded. This tells us a lot about him, and about the country which he ran, as does the Bumiputra system.

If Malaysia, that supposedly "advanced" and "tolerant" Muslim state, brimful of Western computer companies having their components made or put together there, imposes a disguised tax on non-Muslims, and if the best it can do by way of "moderate" Muslim is Mohammad Matathir, what does that tell us about the state of this advancement and tolerance?

For Malaysia -- Muslim-ruled Malaysia -- also displays contempt for the free exercise of the individual conscience. In Islam, once a Muslim, you are seldom allowed out. You are akin to a soldier in the Army of Islam. Changing your faith, or abandoning it, is equivalent to deserting from that army. And that is why, when it comes to Muslims and apostasy -- All Dare Call It Treason. So don't try to become a non-Muslim if you are born into Islam; keep it to yourself. And if you are a famous non-Muslim, such as the famous mountaineer M. Moorthy, a Hindu, your relatives may discover that unbeknownst to themm, the state will after your death claim that you are a Muslim and insist on giving you a Muslim buerial. And this posthumous "islamization" will take place despite the protests of friends and family, possibly the result either of your fame (which must be claimed for Islam) or your property (to be inherited now by that relative who did convert to Islam and who apparently swears up and down that just before his death, so did the prominent relative in question.

The Malaysian Constitution adopted at the time of the countrys independence from British colonial rule in 1957 provided for special treatment to the Bumiputeras in government employment and in the matter of admission to educational institutions. In the aftermath of the 1969 riots, the Malaysian government introduced, in 1971, the New Economic Policy (NEP) to provide affirmative action programmes for the majority Bumiputeras(sons of the soil) i.e. ethnic Malays, in business, education and the civil service to compensate for their economic and social backwardness. The NEP used many tactics to give the bumiputera a bigger slice of the economic pie. There were government contracts for construction, the importing of foreign cars and other business opportunities exclusively for bumiputera. Developers were forced to sell a portion of their property to Malays at a discounted price. Every public company was obliged to give a minimum of 30% of their shares to Malays. Even jobs in the government were reserved specially for them. All these laws were meant to raise the Malay share of equity and to create a whole new line of affluent middle class Malays. No effective action was taken on the NEP promise of reducing poverty, even among the Bumiputera. While there does not appear to be a bias in favour of Bumiputeras in the matter of taxation, instances are repeatedly cited, without the availability of authentic data, pertaining to alleged racial discrimination against non-Bumiputeras in many other fields to include:

How abou Chinese Muslims? Or Indian Muslims? Wouldn't they be excluded from this policy?I do agree though. This policy has been a disastrous failure but IMO, India should be the last to critic. Their own brand of backward and foreward castes are in the same boat as this policy.

I have not read the "official rules" regarding treatment of chinese or indian converts to Islam. The pool was too small at the time I left Malaysia (only a few chinese muslims) that I suspect there waas not an official rule... I know some chinese who converted to Islam (they don't know me though :) and they cause a stir in chinese community.... one of them is now pretty big name in Kelantan politic. But what I did hear circulating around the idea of "masuk Melayu" (instead of masuk Islam... but they practically mean the same thing) is that it would bring materia benefits and priviledges that they wouldn't otherwise entitle to. In fact the majority of chinese muslim converts comes from low income families. Even if they may not be entitled to some benefits that only "Pure Malays" get, the fact that he becomes a muslim definitely give him some advantages (relationships with ruling Malays for one, or marriage with a Malays girl, etc)

But Islam is definitely not popular in chinese community, despite all their afforts of advertising in TV and news media (I even listened to chinese radio program that inserts islamic preaching that everyone else I know would turn to other channels). After so many years of monopoly and banning of tv/radio/news from other religions, don't you find it interesting that Christianity, not Islam, is growing at much faster rate within chinese Malaysians?

<quoted text>I have been away for too long lah! and I come from a "kampung", remember, where people eat budu...I had been to many places in KL with good food, but my one favorite makam place you can't go lah, it is one kedai bak-kut-teh near Kelang (not exatly KL)- they might have a slogan "We Do Pork Right!"

Things you described earlier are no longer here. Obviously you are lagging behind. As before, Malaysian Chinese has continued to prosper and their per capita today probably is as good or better than an american. This country is much more organized than any of Muslim countries and many other countries in the world. I think it has surpassed normal expectations of something as we are.

<quoted text>I have not read the "official rules" regarding treatment of chinese or indian converts to Islam. The pool was too small at the time I left Malaysia (only a few chinese muslims) that I suspect there waas not an official rule... I know some chinese who converted to Islam (they don't know me though :) and they cause a stir in chinese community.... one of them is now pretty big name in Kelantan politic. But what I did hear circulating around the idea of "masuk Melayu" (instead of masuk Islam... but they practically mean the same thing) is that it would bring materia benefits and priviledges that they wouldn't otherwise entitle to. In fact the majority of chinese muslim converts comes from low income families. Even if they may not be entitled to some benefits that only "Pure Malays" get, the fact that he becomes a muslim definitely give him some advantages (relationships with ruling Malays for one, or marriage with a Malays girl, etc)But Islam is definitely not popular in chinese community, despite all their afforts of advertising in TV and news media (I even listened to chinese radio program that inserts islamic preaching that everyone else I know would turn to other channels). After so many years of monopoly and banning of tv/radio/news from other religions, don't you find it interesting that Christianity, not Islam, is growing at much faster rate within chinese Malaysians?

According to Wiki, orang aslis (depending on the part of Msia ur in) are covered.

It's not surprising that Islam is not popular. Islam depends Chinese to give up Bak Kut teh.:P

Joking aside, the south asians are more inclined to accept islam because the dietary restrictions islam poses is nothing much to south asians. Pork is not that popular even in India. If you look at the food of Hindus, you will find very little pork in their ethnic dishes, as opposed to chinese dishes. How to celebrate CNY without Bak kwa?

Christianity doesn't depend much of a change.

Do you know of any halal duck rice stalls in Msia? Roasted duck.*drools*

<quoted text>I have been away for too long lah! and I come from a "kampung", remember, where people eat budu...I had been to many places in KL with good food, but my one favorite makam place you can't go lah, it is one kedai bak-kut-teh near Kelang (not exatly KL)- they might have a slogan "We Do Pork Right!"

Kampong, then never go KL? Take eloplane from KL?

If you're using the Iphone, you should download this free app called "Hosay". Singlish words and phrases.

<quoted text>Kampong, then never go KL? Take eloplane from KL?If you're using the Iphone, you should download this free app called "Hosay". Singlish words and phrases.Want me to eat bak kut teh? Tan gu gu!

Get Dr YAACOB to serve his cabinet colleagues BKT then. He might just appreciate why MUIS makes his cabinet colleagues and Singaporeans eat halal food.- Some call it integration!! Don't be a GOON!!

It's not surprising that Islam is not popular. Islam depends Chinese to give up Bak Kut teh.:PJoking aside, the south asians are more inclined to accept islam because the dietary restrictions islam poses is nothing much to south asians. Pork is not that popular even in India. If you look at the food of Hindus, you will find very little pork in their ethnic dishes, as opposed to chinese dishes. How to celebrate CNY without Bak kwa?Christianity doesn't depend much of a change.Do you know of any halal duck rice stalls in Msia? Roasted duck.*drools*

I don't think chinese rejection of Islam is about food...(not surprised that theory comes from you though :)

One Malay thing chinese love is in fact their food! If food attracts converts, I would have "masuk melayu" long ago!

cairene wrote:

<quoted text>Kampong, then never go KL? Take eloplane from KL?If you're using the Iphone, you should download this free app called "Hosay". Singlish words and phrases.Want me to eat bak kut teh? Tan gu gu!

Tan gu gu? Is that Hokkien? like wait long-long?

(I lived in KL for 3 months long ago, but I couldn't drive at the time.... so I didn't have KL in my pocket lah)

Can you be more specific about which "things" I described are no longer there?

Racial tension in Malaysia has got worse in recent years for some reason.

Haji MURNI wrote:

Obviously you are lagging behind. As before, Malaysian Chinese has continued to prosper and their per capita today probably is as good or better than an american. This country is much more organized than any of Muslim countries and many other countries in the world. I think it has surpassed normal expectations of something as we are.

I may not live there physically, but my parent, relatives and friends are.

The fact that chinese are continuing to prosper has nothing to do with the fact that they are unfairly treated. They just worked and study harder to overcome the situation.

Your statement that "Malaysian Chinese ... their per capita today probably is as good or better than an american" is just completely wrong. "Chinese Singaporean" - probably, but not "Chinese Malaysian".... and use "USD", not Ringgit when you do comparison.

<quoted text>Things you described earlier are no longer here. Obviously you are lagging behind. As before, Malaysian Chinese has continued to prosper and their per capita today probably is as good or better than an american. This country is much more organized than any of Muslim countries and many other countries in the world. I think it has surpassed normal expectations of something as we are.

here's one recent post by a Malay:

==========

Wheres the sense of equality and justice?

When will Malays understand that the call for ketuanan Melayu creates antagonism at best, and violence at worst? There is open hatred toward non-Malays. The Malays have become arrogant; and non-Malays have been forced to be compliant. But for how long? Perhaps, it is the Malay who has more need of change. Where is their sense of equality and justice?

If ketuanan Melayu is supposed to benefit the Malays, why are the majority of Malays poor? If politicians had genuinely wanted to help Malays, the majority of Malays would now be wealthy, after 53 years of Umno rule. But this is not the case. The majority of Malays are poor.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned that the Malays will lose their power if Pakatan Rakyat were to come to power. He labeled Pakatan leaders as a bunch of self-serving and racist politicians.

What power is he referring to? Is he referring to Umnos potential loss? Will the loss mean no more abuse of power and enrichment of family, friends and cronies? Is he lamenting the lack of control over the media, police, judiciary and the parliamentary rights and privileges committee? Did he also mean the inability to detain those who dare speak out against injustices?

Malay extremists claim that Pakatans alternative call for ketuanan rakyat goes against the Malay rulers. However, no one objected when Mahathir clipped the wings of the royals.

Mahathir and Najib Abdul Razak have sought to suggest that Umno/BN is a caring party, but despite 1Malaysia, Malaysians probably feel less united today.

Perhaps, the Malay extremist politicians promoting ketuanan Melayu can rightly be called Children of Mahathir.

Why will the extremists not deal with the social ills that beset the Malay youth  drug abuse, abandoned babies, under-achievement, and Mat Rempit? They have been fed propaganda and expect instant rewards but soon become disillusioned. They then fall further into the trap that non-Malays are robbing them of their rights. Is it any wonder they are bitter and have little aspiration?

The same group of extremists expects other faiths to respect Islam  but they fail to reciprocate this. It is alleged that in some mosques, the sermons preach unbridled hatred.

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